Find out how the social media outlet can help you land new hires
In recent years, Twitter has become an increasingly viable way to connect with jobseekers.
Nearly two-thirds — 61 percent — use Twitter during their job search, according to a survey conducted by Software Advice.
That presents employers with an opportunity to promote the advantages working at their organization can provide; however, they need to know what hashtag, character count and other elements will make their messages more likely to reach their intended audience.
If your company hasn’t yet figured out how to maximize Twitter’s recruiting potential, the following suggestions can help you hone any future candidate-focused tweets you share:
Aim for a reasonable length
Twitter extended its character limit in 2017 to 280, but that doesn’t mean you have to use the maximum amount. Twitter recommends keeping tweets short to increase their impact, and including a link to a blog or website for more information, if needed.
An AdEspresso analysis of more than 23,000 tweets found the average character count was about 118, with one hashtag — and also discovered starting tweets with certain words, including thanks, we, congratulations and learn, could result in higher engagement.
Include a visual
Imagery can paint a picture of what working at your organization is like. According to Twitter statistics, tweets that feature video components attract 10 times more engagements than ones without a video.
Post early and somewhat often
The lifespan of a tweet is fairly short — just 18 minutes, according to Hootsuite data; so timing can be important. Data the social media management platform provider compiled suggests tweeting between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. EST on Monday or Thursday — particularly between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST — to reach a B2B audience. Companies using Twitter for recruiting may potentially experience similarly strong results from posting items within the same time period.
A 2019 CoSchedule analysis of external research and performance metrics from its customers revealed similar findings, proposing that B2B businesses should post on Twitter during commute times, when the social media outlet is often accessed, for the best response.
Engage passive candidates by promoting your employee value proposition
Most jobseekers (74 percent) look at company profiles to see if job opportunities exist, according to Software Advice’s findings. However, following companies and recruiters on Twitter is the second most popular motivation for checking out their profile; as a result, the social media platform can serve as a great venue to advocate your employer brand to that particular 58 percent of jobseekers.
As with any branding effort, offering a variety of information — instead of solely communicating promotional items — can be key. Software Advice’s research, which included an examination of Fortune 500 companies’ Twitter use, found those companies didn’t just tweet about job openings; eight percent also shared information about company events and their work environment.
Respond promptly to remarks
Take a cue from research involving consumer brands, which people generally expect to respond to social media comments within 24 hours, according to a 2018 Clutch survey. Younger generations expect an even quicker reply — 44 percent of millennials and 38 percent of Gen X members anticipate organizations will respond within an hour or less.
Follow Twitter hashtag best practices
Nearly all — 95 percent — of Fortune 500 companies’ recruiting-oriented tweets contained hashtags, according to Software Advice; most commonly, the hashtags incorporated job-seeking terms or locations.
Knowing which demographic groups use Twitter can also help organizations determine if it would be a good place to promote certain positions, depending on the experience level the roles involve.
Although LinkedIn, for example, tends to be a popular social media recruiting tool, employers who are trying to find entry-level hires who are right out of college may have more luck with Twitter. Forty-four percent of U.S. adults age 18 to 24 say they use the social media outlet, according to Pew Research Center data; only 17 percent, though, utilize LinkedIn.
For additional thoughts on social media use and recruiting, view our blog posts on forgoing the usual social media suspects, 4 clever techniques companies use to recruit candidates, writing a job description that rocks, how to use Boolean search techniques in recruiting — and download our free white paper on how to improve your employment identity to learn how your organization can successfully build its talent marketplace brand.